A New Chapter Begins

Many of you have been with me on this writing journey for a long time now. Some have been here from the beginning. A few of you have even read my books out of binders, printed by me.

Along the way, you have encouraged me, supported me, and helped me. Some of you have even contributed to stories through the wisdom and life lessons you’ve shared with me.

For all of those things, please let me say, Thank you so much! I could not be here without you!

Over the course of this amazing journey, the river has taken many twists I did not see coming.

Dennis was one of those twists. Dennis came into my life when giving up on the writing seemed preferable to pressing on. He stayed and he encouraged, and then he moved on… to a life of peace and hope in Heaven itself.

Last night I was fiddling around with my blog trying to get some new things to work, and I hit a button that brought up a “random” post. It was the last one Dennis posted on Spirit Light before he went in for the knee surgery. The last two sentences he wrote were, “Be nice to Staci during my absence. Thank you.” I still feel a warm sense of his protection and love when I read that. He was always looking out for me like a big brother or a guardian angel–always with humor but with noted respect and seriousness as well. And he loved all of you as well.

The care and excitement he had for the people who read his words was indescribable. He loved our Lord so much, and he was so honored to get to share that love with all of you. In fact, upon his death, it was that vision that kept me going. I did not want to let the connection between Heaven and earth that he had helped me forge disintegrate. What happened instead was that the connection seemed to grow stronger and more “territory” was added to what God was giving me.

During our time on earth together, Dennis and I “revised” the Prayer of Jabez. I still have our revision on my wall. It says simply, “Enlarge my territory according to Your Will, Lord, and let me do it in love…” We prayed that prayer often, asking for God’s guiding hand on our lives as we pressed out of our comfort zones into territory God had laid out for us to claim for Him. I don’t think either of us ever felt worthy of this undertaking, and we did a lot of falling at the feet of Jesus for His wisdom as to what to speak into the lives He sent to us.

Since Dennis’s death, I have felt his continued presence in my life–especially in those times when God is moving to expand my life into territory that I would be crazy to go into without Him. That’s why reading Dennis’s final message to all of you was so very poignant for me.

In this last week, God has been planting seeds in my life that make me a little nervous but very excited for just where this thing is going.

First, He brought a woman and her daughter into my life who are giving me the tools to break out in a big way into the world of Kindles and Nook. I’d always wanted to do this and had already dipped a toe into those waters. But these two are phenomenal angels sent straight from Heaven to pave the way in this venture.

Then God dropped a man into my life that has been through the how-to’s of promoting Kindle and Nooks for a year or so. He’s made the mistakes and figured out what works. His advice and guidance was absolutely a Godsend.

Finally, God sent a wonderful woman who has been in my life as a mentor, a guide, and a friend for nearly 10 years now. She has expertise in an area that I will really need going forward.

So, the “arrival” of Dennis back in my life last night felt like a sign that, “Yes, God is serious about this, but never fear, dear Staci, He has everything in hand. Just trust Him like you taught me to do. I’ll be watching as the dream we always knew was out there begins to come to fruition.”

As I begin this new and exciting chapter of my life, I wanted to take this opportunity to thank all of you for your support and encouragement! I could not have made it this far without each of you! And I thank you, sincerely, for your love and grace!

In gratitude, I would like to extend the following offer to each of you, my loyal readers:

The First-Ever Staci Stallings Friends’ Special!

For a limited time, the Kindle and Nook versions of Staci Stallings’

Cowboy

and

The Price of Silence

are on sale for only 99 cents!

THE PRICE OF SILENCE — Where do you turn when the watching eyes are everywhere? Where do you go when no place is safe? Who do you turn to when saying anything could get someone killed? Who can you trust when “they” could be anyone?

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